Najaf’s Shiite uprising appeared to be weakening today as Iraqi forces moved to within 200 yards of the revered Imam Ali Shrine.

REBEL forces inside the Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf were warned yesterday they have “hours to surrender” or face attack from US and Iraqi forces.

Insurgents targeted convoys of the Iraqi interim government’s ministers of environment and education in two separate bomb attacks in Baghdad today. Neither of the ministers was hurt, but at least five people were reported dead.